Seasons For Love
by Josephine Stone
Summary: And the words weren't a mantra in his head trying to create the magic from the want of it but their reality. Mary/Colin/Dickon.


**Title:** Seasons For Love  
 **Author(s):** josephinestone  
 **Written For:** scribble-myname for remixers-lounge's remix madness  
 **Remix of:** Friends Forever, The Changing Seasons, Banter, Three Ways to Share, Who Kisses Who, Rain on the Moor, and Of Course  
 **Fandom:** A Secret Garden  
 **Pairing(s):** Mary/Colin/Dickon  
 **Rating:** R  
 **Word Count:** 1875  
 **Content:** Cousincest, threesome  
 **Summary:** And the words weren't a mantra in his head trying to create the magic from the want of it but their reality.  
 **Author's Notes:** I remixed all your A Secret Garden drabbles together (except The Winter Wuthers, because you had that one under a different pen name, and it wasn't with your original link); I hope you don't mind. The two sentence drabbles proved to be a bit difficult, so I worked them into 1) the theme/title and the way the story breaks up and 2) the overall plot of the story bookending it.

One of the comments on Who Kisses Who was: "The OT3 I never realized I had." Which was pretty much my feelings reading all your drabbles as well. My child self daydreamed (I'd never heard of or even contemplated the idea of fan fiction at the time) of romances between Mary and Dickon or Dickon and Colin and was glad no romance actually happened, because it would have left someone out. My adult self realizes that isn't the problem I had thought it was. So parts of this story—Mary going off to a boarding school and returning a year or two later was a favourite—came from my childhood daydreams. Thanks for giving me a reason to finally write them down.

I'm horrible at writing accents, so I only have them where I kept the original dialogue from the drabbles.

* * *

 **Autumn For Work**

The mood was solemn on Mary's last day with them. Even in the kitchens, Dickon could feel the sorrow. The cook whistled a slow tune instead of singing her regular upbeat songs. Martha forced at upbeat smile at him that he knew was meant to cheer him up.

At fifteen Mary's uncle felt it would a disservice to her to be kept in the world of boys. She'd never had female friends, and had no idea how to socialise at parties with them. It wasn't healthy for any of them to be lock away at the manor forever. Tutors were one thing, and travel and parties another, but he could never be the mother figure she'd never had.

Finishing school it was; the one her mother and aunt had gone to. A way for her to connect with them as she never had in life.

'You should be happy for her,' Martha said and as that did nothing to cheer him up, she added, 'she'll be back. Misselthwaite's her home.'

Dickon gave his sister a half-hearted smile. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted Mary there with him not at some boring school where she didn't know anyone and probably wouldn't fit it. He didn't believe that Mary even wanted to go as many things ifor your own good/i tended to not be the most enjoyable experiences.

'Does th' like her?'

'Mary? Of course, I like her.' At Martha's smirk, he added, 'She loves the garden.'

She shook her head fondly at him. He loved that about his sister. Even when he was being difficult, she was still her same cheerful self. He wasn't jealous of her, if that was what his sister was getting at. If she was happy, then he was happy for her.

'And Colin,' she pointed out and waited a breath for his reaction—he simply nodded. Of course, she'd come back to visit her cousin, even if school ended up taking her away for good.

Martha reached toward him to ruffle his hair. 'And Dickon.'

He grabbed for the lunch basket as he twisted away from his sister, and then he ran out the door to met up with Mary and Colin outside. It didn't take long for him to catch up and run past them. Colin was the first to catch on and gave chase with Mary quick behind them.

In the garden, everything was changing with the weather. The leaves were turning bright colours, and there was a lot of work to do, preparing for winter.

They were quiet not wanting to talk about what the next morning would bring. There were only so many times you could hear the phase before the words began to ring hollow: we'll always be friends. They all repeated it aloud, and Dickon over and over again in his head. It was safer not to speak to keep the phrase a promise; to not let it turn into an ill omen.

And then because it was their last day together, Dickon started up their favourite game: Hide and Seek.

Then, because it was their last day together, Mary kissed Dickon on the mouth.

Because it was their last day together, Colin kissed Mary.

 **Winter For Waiting**

With Mary gone at school, Dickon and Colin at first avoided the garden at the same time. There was a lot of work to do and Colin hated being inside no matter how cold it was out, so it was only a matter of time before they were alone together in the garden they thought of as hers. Alone together without her.

They worked together without her, but they couldn't bring themselves to play the same games they did with her. It wasn't the same with only two.

With an exasperated huff, Colin threw himself backwards on the ground.

'Colin?'

'I'm dying without her,' he responded.

Dickon smiled at the joke. 'Nah, you're hibernating; it's winter,' he pointed out. 'You're still full of life, even if you don't look it.'

'No,' Colin protested. 'I'm not a plant. Yet, I'm withering away and dying.'

Struck with an idea, Dickon leaned over him and pressed his lips against Colin's just like Mary had done to him.

'What are you doing?' Colin asked.

'Breathing life into you.'

'Oh.' Colin paused for a moment before adding, 'Carry on, then.'

center#/center

At Christmas there was a party, and with Mary home there was something worth celebrating. Martha got a job for Dickon to help the staff, so he could be with Mary and Colin that night. It was easy work, but kept him on edge. He wasn't used to being surrounded by so many people while he worked. He much preferred the garden.

'Hide me,' Colin said as he joined him at the edge of the hall. 'I think my father is already trying to marry me off.'

Mary had already changed so much in the few months she'd been gone.

She'd been gone before—They'd been gone before on trips with Lord Craven. Yet this was different. She danced and laughed with people she couldn't remember the names of. Her laughter didn't sound faked. But her eyes still searched and found the boys at the edge of the room. Finding a way to politely make her way toward them, she smiled and didn't complain about the party—as Colin always did—once she joined them.

'It wouldn't kill you to dance with her,' Mary said.

Colin frowned. 'It might.'

Ever the lady, she changed the subject. 'You look nice, Dickon; all dressed up.'

He could feel the heat pouring into his cheeks, and looked away only to catch his sister watching them. She smiled off troubles all the time and then still went wide eyed when they broken the social norms. He was meant to be working, not there for play. So he offered them both a glass of wine, and nodded to Colin letting him know the blonde girl had found him again.

Mary laughed as she saw the girl make her way over to them and whispered, 'Porter has been keeping an eye on that one most the night.' Then winked at Colin as he accepted another dance from her.

'She's pretty,' Dickon said, once Colin had gone.

'They're too much alike.'

Mary didn't have to explain how. They were both too used to getting whatever they wanted, and she wouldn't be willing to share Colin with them. They'd always be friends. Colin didn't have room in his life for someone like her.

 **Spring For Joy**

It was rain and not snow, so despite the cold they continued their dancing around in it as though they were still the children they were when they met.

Not that snow would have stopped them. Mary was back. Only for a week, for the spring.

Martha had ran out with Dickon to help bring in Mary's belongings, and called them when they didn't follow her in. 'You'll catch your death o' cold out there.' When none of them followed she yelled his name.

Dickon ran to her and pulled out into the middle of them all and ignored her protest. She needed to let herself play. She was too young to act so grown up all the time. He didn't release her until she'd given in and dance a bit with them all.

They all sat together and warmed by the fire, ignoring duties and obligations for the warmth of each other's presences. Mary kissed them all. Martha was only wide eyed at that for a moment.

'You are a strange one,' she said to Mary.

By then Dickon was as comfortable in the manor house as he was in it's gardens. No one thought it odd for him to spend an evening after working with the cousin in Colin's room. The door no longer hung open as if to say he didn't really belong there with them. Martha no longer shot him worried smiles as she left them.

 **Summer For Play**

The summer after Mary left school, she came back to Misselthwaite. Lord Craven was gone for her first week back, and everyone else always had too much to do to bother with them. They'd work in the garden and then go play in Colin's room; just as they always had as children.

Dickon was on Colin's bed helping Mary get through all the buttons on her dress as she kissed down his neck and behind his ear..

'Why does she always get to go first?' Colin asked as he leaned against the post on his bed the closest to Mary.

He continued his work on her dress. 'Neither of you like to share do you?' It was more that, she took much longer to undress. Besides, they spend most of the last few years alone together, waiting for Mary. Colin was hardly neglected. They'd freed her of her dress, but she still had on her corset when she pulled Colin onto the bed with them.

Colin quickly got Dickon out of his trousers and pants, before turning back to Mary and working down the lacing of her corset. Dickon was always helpless at that part, but Colin wasn't much better. Who they really needed was Martha. She'd be through the laces in a blink.

'Whoever invented these,' Colin said, 'was a sadist.'

Mary giggled and Colin kissed her as Dickon undressed himself and then Colin. They always danced around who would be in the middle. Mary's first day back meant it was her. Colin getting over a bout of sickness meant it was him.

Dickon wasn't prepared for them to turn the tables. One minute he was kissing the back of Colin's shoulder and the next, Colin had pulled back switching their places while Mary climbed onto Dickon's lap. Colin and Mary kissed over Dickon's shoulder, then they turned their focus completely on Dickon.

They'd never put him in the middle before; they'd never been very good at sharing.

It took time for Colin to enter him for the first time, but it was worth the wait and Dickon was glad Mary was there with them for it. They surrounded him. Arms, legs and mouths that held him, moved with him, and drove him slowly to the edge of madness. It was too much to feel at once, and where he used hold them all together, he was falling apart.

'We'll always be together,' Mary said, reassuring Dickon that they'd wouldn't be leaving him behind as they made their way into the world of rich. Misselthwaite was a hide-a-way for many people, but for Dickon it had always been his home. And silently Dickon had been counting the days until he'd lose them for good. Not just the weeks at a time on vacation or the months at a time at school, but for years at time for their real lives.

They held him tightly between them as his breath came back to him and the tremors of pleasure slowly halted allowing his body to quit its shaking.

Colin agreed, 'We'll always be together.'

And the words weren't a mantra in his head trying to create the magic from the want of it, but their reality.


End file.
